This is an easy quick and delicious recipe for lunch or snack especially when zucchini is in season.

Ingredients:

2 big or 4 medium zucchini grated

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 egg beaten

1 garlic crushed

1/4 cup scallions finely diced

1/2 tsp cumin powder (optional)

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

4 tbs olive oil for frying

Pita bread and lemon wedges for serving
Method:

Place the shredded zucchini in a colander set over a bowl and sprinkle the zucchini lightly with salt. Allow the zucchini to stand for 10 minutes. Using your hands, squeeze out as much liquid from the zucchini as possible.

Transfer the zucchini to a large bowl.

Add the flour, eggs, scallions, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and red pepper (if used) to the bowl, stirring until the mixture is combined. Line a plate with paper towels.

Add the olive oil to large sauté pan set over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, scoop 1 tablespoon mounds of the zucchini mixture into the pan, (or 2 tbs depends how big in diameter you want the fritters) pressing them lightly into rounds and spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Cook the zucchini fritters for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip them once and cook an additional 2 minutes until golden brown and cooked throughout. Transfer the zucchini fritters to the paper towel-lined plate.

Repeat the scooping and cooking process with the remaining zucchini mixture.

in a big bowl, mix together ajwain, salt, flour and ghee. Rub the flour well in between the palms to incorporate the ghee well.

Add water little by little and mix the flour to dough. Cover and set aside until the filling is ready.

In a sauté pan, heat the 2 tbs of ghee butter, then add cumin until begins to sizzle.

Add ginger, green chilli and saute until it begins to smell good. Add ground beef an brown for 5 minutes or until all liquid absorbed.

5. Add smashed potatoes, peas, chili powder, garam masala, crushed coriande, mango powder and salt. Mix everything well and saute for 3 to 5 mins. Set aside to cool.
How to assemble Samosa:
Make 8 portions of the dough and roll to balls.

2. Grease the rolling area and then flatten a ball. Begin to roll to a oblong or oval shape. Cut it to two. If the edges are too thick, gently roll it to thin down.

4. Smear water over the straight edge and join the edges to make a cone. Press gently to seal the cone.

5. Fill the cone with potato masala and smear water on the edges. Bring the edges together and make a pleat on one side. Bring back the pleat and seal it. Make sure the samosa has been sealed well.

6. Finish making all the samosas.

How to deep fry samosa

Heat oil in a pan until medium hot. A piece of dough dropped in the hot oil must rise gently not immediately. This is the right temperature.

Add the samosas to the oil and deep fry them until golden. When they are half fried you can increase the flame to little high and fry until crusty.

Gözleme is a traditional savory Turkish flatbread, made of hand-rolled dough that are filled with various toppings, sealed, and cooked over a griddle. The name derives from the Turkish word göz, meaning “compartment”, in reference to the pocket of dough.
Ingredients:
For the dough:

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup plain yogurt room temperature

1/2 cup warm water

For Filling

1 tbs vegetable oil

1 small onion chopped

1/2 lb ground beef

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp crushed red pepper شطة مجروشة

2 tsp ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup green bell pepper chopped

1/2 red bell pepper chopped

1/2 yellow bell pepper chopped

1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped

1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled

1 medium tomato seeded and chopped

lemon wedges and olives to serve

Method:
For the dough:

In a large bowl combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the center and stir in the yogurt and water. Continue mixing with a spoon until everything is well combined. If the dough is too dry adjust by adding a bit more water, start with a tablespoon at a time.

Flour your work surface and knead the dough for about 3 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside.

To make the filling, in a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, sauté onion until translucent.

Add the ground beef to the skillet and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, until browned. Stir in the bell peppers, parsley, crushed red pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, salt and pepper. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir everything together and cook for another 2 minutes.

Transfer the meat mixture to a wide dish and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, divide the dough into 4 equal balls. Roll each piece into a rectangle that’s about 12×10 inches.

Spoon about 3 tbsp of the lamb mixture in the middle of the rectangle and spread it out a bit. Add some of the crumbled feta. Fold over the edges of the dough to seal. Repeat with remaining dough pieces.

Heat a large nonstick griddle over medium heat. Depending on the size of your griddle, add 1 or 2 of the gozleme and cook on each side for about 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

Cut each gozleme in half diagonally and serve with lemon wedges. Enjoy!

Zaatar bread … مطبق الزعتر . Is a Palestinian pastry mostly made in spring, which is the season of collecting fresh wild thyme. It is a flat bread stuffed with sautéed fresh zaatar leaves, onions and sumac and I like to add crumbled white cheese to mine. When baking these pastries my house smells phenomenal.

مطبق الزعتر الاخضر الفلسطيني

2 1/2 all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole weat flour

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tbs rapid rise yeast

1 tsp honey

2 tbs powdered milk

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 lukewarm water

More olive oil for brushing

For filling

3 cups fresh green thyme (zaatar)

1 medium size onion diced

2 tbs sumac

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

4 tbs olive oil

White cheese crumbled (optional)

Method:

To make the dough: in the mixer bowl add flour, salt, powdered milk and mix to combine.Make a well in the middle and stir in the yeast and honey and 1/4 cup of the luke warm water.

Let rest 5 minutes until the yeast mixture is frothy. Add the rest of the water with the olive oil and with the paddle hook attached to the mixer, mix for a minute.

Replace the paddle hook with the dough hook and start kneading until a soft dough ball is obtained and the sides of the bowl are clean.

Brush some olive oil on top of the dough and cover to rest for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile start preparing the Zaatar filling.

Take off the Zaatar out of the branches and wash it for 3 times by changing the water each time until the water comes out clean.

Get rid of excess water by squeezing the zaatar leaves between your hands.

In a medium sized frying pan and on medium heat on the stove add olive oil and sauté the onions until translucent.

Stir in salt, black pepper, sumac, and Zaatar .

Sauté for a minute and transfer the Zaatar mixture to a plate to cool down.

In a big tray that is brushed with olive oil, divide the dough into 8 equal sized balls.

Brush a little olive oil on top of a clean surface and start rolling out each ball into very thin squares.

Brush some olive oil on top of each square to help rolling out.

Spread a table spoon of the thyme ( Zaatar ) mixture in the middle and top it with a tablespoon of the cheese.

Fold dough the same way as in the picture.

Keep repeating the same procedure with all the balls.

Leave them aside to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F.

With the roller pin flatten each square to make it bigger (as shown in picture).

In a oven tray covered with parchment paper arrange the Zaatar squares and brush the top with olive oil.

Bake in the middle rack of the preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Arrange the Zaatar pastries in the serving plate and brush with more olive oil.

Swiss chard and lentils soup is a traditional Old Palestinian soup that is made with chard, potatoes, whole chickpeas and lots of lemon juice. What you get is a naturally gluten free vegan nutritious, delicious and satisfying meal for lunch or dinner any day of the week.

Ingredients:

1 cup lentils washed

Bunch of Swiss chard

1 small onion diced

2 small potatoes diced

1 cup whole cooked chickpeas drained

1 tsp dried coriander crushed

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp dried mint

1/2 tsp dried chili crushed ( optional)

2 tbs corn oil

3 cups vegetable broth

Juice of 2 lemons

1 tsp dried mint

Salt to taste

Method:

Wash theSwiss chard really good

Wash the lentils

Cut the stems of the chard leaves and set them aside

Chop the leaves roughly and the stems.

In a medium sized pot heat the 2 tbs of oil and sauté the onion until translucent.

Stir in the coriander, cumin and chili.

Stir in the lentils and potatoes.

Add the broth and let cook on a medium low heat for about 30 minutes.

Stir in the Swiss chard and chickpeas and let cook for about 20 minutes more.